Amarone
by Daeneyr
Summary: Jane gets abducted while investigating the murders of known psychics.
1. Into Darkness

As the rumbling of his car died down, Patrick Jane sat back in his seat to finish the last of his to-go lo mein. The noodles had started to go cold, and the lettuce-y vegetables were covered in greasy sauce, but Jane didn't mind. He just wanted to postpone the entering of his house. Why didn't he sleep at headquarters? Oh, right. Because Lisbon felt the need to work late and kicked him out of her office. Jane put on his best imitation of Lisbon, complete with body language;

"It makes me feel bad that you're trying to sleep while I'm working in the room..."

Jane scooped another bunch of noodles into his mouth, masticating quietly as he looked out the window and talked to the little teddy bear that Lisbon had given him as a joke on his last birthday.

"I really don't know why she couldn't have worked in the _other_ room. Do you?"

The bear didn't respond. Of course it wouldn't, it was a toy. Jane shook his head and shoved his chopsticks inside the white box of lo mein. He took a deep swig from his water bottle and returned it to its cup holder before turning to get out of the car. As he turned, he saw a RED smiley face drawn on the bear out of his peripheral vision. He broke into a cold sweat and jerked around quickly, inspecting the supposedly innocent teddy bear that most definitely DID NOT have a red smiley face. Jane took a moment to calm down, rubbing his temples with his right hand (as the left still held the leftover Chinese container). He stepped out of the car, started shutting the door, then at the last moment pulled the door open again, looking at the bear. The bear just stared. Jane squinted suspiciously at the little furry thing then shut the door completely. He tossed the leftovers in the garbage can in his garage and locked the car. As he walked around the front of his house towards his front door, his phone vibrated. He pulled out the device and looked at the message from Lisbon.

_"I'm sorry. See you tomorrow? :)"_ Jane frowned. Another smiley face. Something was not right. Unable to shake a strange feeling, Jane responded;

_"It's fine. Most likely."_

He continued up the stairs towards the front door. It was a nice night out. Cool and comfortable, with clear skies. It was dark though, as it was the night of the new moon. Perfect. His hand was shaking ever so slightly as he pulled out his key to unlock the door. Then he felt it... the front porch creaked silently, but the vibration reached his foot. Jane turned around quickly, but never saw who it was who was there. All he saw was a metal blur and then sparks. He was unconscious before he knew what had hit him.

In the bushes his phone vibrated.

_"Most likely?"_


	2. Four Days Previously

"Sarah Ledford? She was a good girl, very outgoing and smart, and she could always tell what you were thinking. Sweet, sweet girl. You'll find out who did this to her, right?" The owner of Reese cafe, William Murray, asked of Kimball Cho.

"We'll try. Any idea who would want to harm her?" Cho probed. Murray shook his head.

"No. She didn't have any enemies, that I knew of anyway. However, no one really knows anything about before she moved here." William looked past Cho towards a tall, crying man who walked past in the distance.

"How long ago was that?"

"Eh, what?" Murray looked back at his interrogator.

"When did she move here?" Cho repeated.

"Oh, right. About a year ago. She came and set up shop right next door. She had a few customers, but here's a small town. Not very good for her type of business. I had a feeling she was running away from something, but what it was...or who...I really couldn't say. And it was only a feeling. I have no proof." Murray shook his head sadly, and looked towards the body of Sarah Ledford.

"Her type of business?"

"She's a psychic. Damn good one too." Cho raised an eyebrow.

"Maybe an angry customer?" He asked.

"No one I know roundabout here would have touched a hair on her head. She was a sweet girl. If anyone did this, it was someone from before she moved here. Perhaps whoever she was running away from."

Cho looked towards Lisbon, who was holding a slip of paper and waving it around.

"Thanks for your help." Cho replied, pulling out an evidence bag.

* * *

Jane stepped up to the scene. Sarah Ledford was a pretty girl, with short curly brown hair, and brown eyes. She looked to be about 5'7 and slim. Her face was marred by red cuts in the shape of X's over her eyes, and her earlobes were also sporting similar crosses. Her mouth was agape. She wasn't wearing any make up. There was a u shaped wound on the side of her temple. Also, an emerald was left on her forehead. She was found in the front of her psychic store, "Alice Chapel's Psychic Readings". She lived in the apartments above. Lisbon walked over.

"What have you found?" She queried. Jane grinned playfully at her.

"I found a quarter earlier but I gave it to the parking meter." Lisbon rolled her eyes.

"Anything on the case?" Jane smiled wider.

"You should be more specific, Lisbon, how am I to know you weren't talking about the quarter?..." Lisbon opened her mouth as if to make a comment but Jane cut her off.

"Sarah Ledford was killed with a crowbar and died on impact. The damage to her ears and eyes were done after she died." Lisbon looked skeptical.

"Shouldn't you wait to hear from the MD before you make these kind of assumptions?" Jane shrugged, and squatted down.

"I could, but it's pretty obvious. The U-shaped wound is distinctly a chop wound from a crowbar, you can see the mix of sharp and blunt force trauma in the wound." Jane pointed towards her face. Lisbon squatted as well to get a better look. "Also, her mouth is open but only slightly. If she had died in pain, her face would be in one of agony not this almost...peaceful...reaction. She died on impact and the killer carved up her face like thanksgiving dinner afterwards. Happy?"

Lisbon made a disgusted face at Jane's reference.

"I think you have officially ruined turkey dinners for me forever. Thanks." Jane looked innocent.

"I have? A pity. On the bright side, Turkeys everywhere will thank you for your restraint." Lisbon sighed and rolled her eyes again.

"What do you think the lacerations on her eyes and ears mean?"

"Hear no evil, see no evil is what comes to mind. But how that is connected I don't know. Maybe she knew someone's dirty secret and that's why she moved here. If that's the case, her past must have caught up to her. That's where the mystery begins." Jane mused.

"I would've thought the mystery began with the dead body." Lisbon retorted. Jane held up a finger to silence her.

"She has something in her hand." Jane reached over and slid the paper out. He read it.

"It's a website address." Lisbon commented as she snatched the paper. Jane pushed her away and stood up.

"Please don't do that." He said.

"Do what? Talk? Or take evidence out of your _ungloved_ hands?" She wondered as she waved the slip of paper in Cho's general direction. Cho walked over and gave Lisbon an evidence bag. She nodded her thanks.

"Read over my shoulder like that. It's weird." Jane fake shuddered for effect. Lisbon tapped him on the shoulder with the back of her hand- a playful slap.

"Oh and like you aren't creepy with half the things you do." She teased.

"Hey, I never said creepy, I said weird. You think I'm creepy?" Jane got curiously defensive and followed Lisbon into the building that Sarah Ledford lived and worked in.

"Not...usually...just forget it." Lisbon walked away. Jane caught eyes with Cho and pointed at himself.

"Me, Creepy?" Cho shrugged and followed Lisbon into the shop.

* * *

Jane walked around the apartment belonging to Sarah Ledford. She was a neat and very organized person. Her room consisted of a bed, a desk, a closet, and an en suite bathroom. The bathroom was pretty bare, only toothpaste, strawberry shampoo and conditioner, some hair styling mousse, a brush, and a few other odds and pieces. Jane left the bathroom and reentered the bedroom. The desk held only a picture of a younger Sarah and her dog. the drawers were empty. The closet held a few sweaters and a couple of pairs of jeans. Getting on his hands and knees, Jane looked under the bed. There was a small box. He reached and pulled it out. Setting it on the bed, he opened it. A little ballerina started dancing and Greensleeves started playing.

*"_Daddy! Daddy look what Mommy got me! I'm going to keep my beads in it!" Jane smiled at the little girl before him, and kneeled in front of her._

_"Really? Did you thank Mommy?" She smiled and nodded enthusiastically._

_"Daddy, did you move the ballerina? Mommy says you're magic!" Jane smiled and looked up at the woman standing behind his daughter. She was smiling fondly down at the two of them. Jane tapped his daughter's nose with his index finger and winked._

_"You bet."*_

Jane looked at the contents of the box. It contained a deck of tarot cards and a sticky note stuck to the top card reading "To Sar-bear from Mom. Take good care."

Lisbon and Rigsby entered.

"She didn't sleep here last night." Jane deadpanned, still shaken by the memory of his daughter. Rigsby tilted his head.

"What makes you say that?" He wondered. Jane pointed towards the bathroom.

"The shampoo in there is strawberry, but her hair smelled like lavender. There is nothing Lavender in her room, therefore I think she was with her boyfriend." Jane stepped out of the room, through the main room, and out the front door towards the people outside. He walked straight up to the man who had walked past Cho and Murray earlier.

"Hello. I'm Patrick."


	3. Psychic's Bane

In the interrogation room, Rigsby and Cho looked at Matt White. Matt was looking nervously at the mirror behind the two agents. Jane opened the door and skipped over to his seat, pulling it up to the table. He leaned on the table with his hands in a steeple. Matt looked at him.

"How did you know?" He asked Jane.

"Know what?" Jane teased. Matt rolled his eyes.

"You know what!"

"Do I?" Jane smiled jokingly. Matt looked annoyed and confused. He turned toward Rigsby.

"Is he always such a pain in the ass?" Rigsby nodded.

"Pretty much."

"I find a sense of humor goes a long way when trying to interrogate some one." Jane commented as he leaned back in his seat. Matt snorted.

"I don't see how." Jane winked,

"You wouldn't, would you? Anyway,You weren't talking."

"Not talking...what?" Matt responded confused.

"That's how I knew you were Sarah's lover, boyfriend, whatever you may be. You were crying, you were looking at her, but you were avoiding the police. You were obviously upset, wouldn't you have offered to help the police? But you were standoffish. I believe it's because you were too scared of revealing that she spent the night with you last night. That would make you the last person to have seen her alive, besides the killer. Plus you smell like lavender." Jane leaned back and stretched. Matt was speechless.

"So did you kill Sarah Ledford?" Cho asked, breaking the silence. Matt looked at Cho and shook his head, but it was Jane he spoke to.

"I did not kill Sarah. I loved her." His eyes started watering. Jane grabbed Matt's wrist and looked deep into his eyes.

"Do you know who killed her?" He asked ominously. Matt never wavered.

"No. If I did, he would be dead by my own hands." Jane nodded and stepped back.

"You can let him go." Jane exited the room.

Matt looked at Cho and Rigsby.

"Lavender?" he asked. Cho shrugged and proceeded to release White from the chair.

* * *

"I found the website on the paper Sarah was holding when she died." Van Pelt stated. Jane shook his head.

"The killer left it in her hand for us to find. If she was holding it when she died her grip would have been tighter."

"So you're saying this is a message left from the killer?" Rigsby asked. Jane nodded halfheartedly.

"Probably."

The team crowded around Van Pelts computer.

"How to tell if a Psychic is a fake..." Jane murmered.

"So the killer killed her for being a fake...psychic?" Van Pelt asked.

"Maybe. She made a living off of her "psychic powers". Maybe the killer has thing against psychics." Lisbon commented.

"Well, considering that there is no such thing as psychics, a lot of frauds might have to look out." Jane mused. Van Pelt rolled her eyes.

"What makes you think they need to? This may be a one time thing. The boyfriend got angry at Sarah for some reason and killed her. That's my guess." Rigsby stated.

"The markings. Serial killers are the ones that tend to mark up their victims in such a way. And the emerald on her forehead. That was to disrupt spirits and magic from being able to touch her. A common talisman against evil. I think we are looking at a methodical killer, one that is superstitious to the point of being religious, and has a vendetta against fake psychics." Jane said.

"Who says the boyfriend didn't do this to draw suspicion away from himself? He has no alibi, he was the last to see Sarah alive, and he has easy access to tools. He owns a hardware store." Lisbon pointed out. Jane shook his head.

"It's all circumstantial, we have no real evidence against him. And he said he didn't know who killed her. He was telling the truth."

"If he is a serial killer, why haven't we seen this pattern before? These markings, etc?" Cho comments. Jane looks at him.

"There's a first kill for everyone. Another reason the boyfriend didn't do it. If he had done it to draw attention away from himself, he would have emulated a known serial killer, not made one up."

* * *

Jane was sleeping on the couch when the call came. At least, he was pretending he was. And doing a pretty good job of it, if he did say so himself.

"We have another victim. Same coincidence as Sarah." Cho called out. Lisbon looked toward Jane disapprovingly. Jane smirked, jumped up, and walked through the office.

"Shot gun." He stated on his way out the door.

* * *

"Robert Gates. He was found by the morning garbagemen. They didn't touch anything." Cho informs the crew. Like Sarah, Gates had the cross cut eyes and earlobes, and was killed by a crowbar outside his psychic shop, "Little hopes, Big dreams". Also, he had an emerald on his forehead as well.

"Couldn't have been the boyfriend. We had him in custody." Cho deadpanned. (Despite Jane's assurances that he was innocent, Lisbon decided to keep him overnight just in case).

"Told you." Jane boasted.

"Ok, you were right this time." Lisbon conceded. Jane grinned.

"As always." He teased.

Gates was a middle aged man with brown hair and wearing golden rings on both his pinkies. Layed on his chest was a card that said "Para mi padre" on the front. Jane picked it up.

"For my father..." He opened it. Inside was a word written in blood. "Revenge..."

"This man wants to exact revenge on fake psychics for his father's sake?" Cho asked.

"Looks that way..." Jane replied. "Whoever he is, he is trying to keep his victims from finding something in the afterlife. I think that this killer believes that his victims can talk to necromancers or some such, hence the green stone that keeps "magic" away. Also, he blinds them and makes them deaf, but he doesn't make them mute. I think he wants to keep them from being summoned by someone but…Maybe he is looking for a real psychic and is killing everyone who is not real. He leaves the mouths so that they can talk, but only when summoned by someone who he allows to summon them. If the psychic he tries to get to summon them can't do it, he kills them as a fraud."

"That's a lot for such little evidence." Lisbon pointed out. Jane nodded agreeably.

"As of right now, it's only a hunch. Let me think on it a bit more."


	4. Orange you glad you're going to die?

"_Another _one?!" Lisbon cried out exasperated. "What's with this guy?"

"Probably in a hurry. I think he is looking for someone and believes he has only a limited amount of time to do it." Jane responded while lying on the couch and tossing a tangerine in the air.

"How many sections do you think are in this orange, Lisbon?" Jane asked as Lisbon pulled out her firearm and strapped it to her belt.

"Is this really the time, Jane?" She exasperates.

"Humor me."

"7." She says as she walks out the door. Jane stands up and follows.

"Nope. 13." He replied, smirking.

"How would you know that?" Lisbon stopped and looked at Jane.

"Peel it." Jane handed her the tangerine. Lisbon peels it and counts the sections, leaving the peel on Cho's desk.

"Thirteen. Lucky guess." She handed the fruit back to Jane and continued out the door.

Jane grinned and followed.

* * *

Jane looked at the dead body of Henry Herrera. He was wearing a bedazzled suit and had his hair slicked back. He too, was found with the facial lacerations and outside his psychic clinic. He was found by one of his co-workers, a woman by the name of Grace Jones.

"He was just laying there, with those horrible x's on his face. Who would do that kind of thing?" She cried. Lisbon shook her head.

"We don't know yet. We believe that he was a victim of a new up and coming serial killer that targets psychic's they believe are fake. Do you know of any angry customers that may have felt the need to kill him for any reason?"

"We prefer the term 'clients' but no. None that I can think of. Henry was the best at what he did. The best." Jane interrupted at this point.

"Why did you steal the diamond?" He asked. Grace looked confused.

"Diamond?" she asked. Jane smiled, Lisbon played along;

"Yes. There has been one on the forehead of every victim so far except for Henry."

"I can't think of any reason for the killer to change his habits in this one incident. And you did find the body. Where did the jewel go?" Jane probed.

"I don't know about any 'jewels'. I most certainly did not take anything off of Henry." She defended. Jane put his hands up.

"Alright. Just checking."

"I do think that I saw a diamond on him when I found him." Grace conceded.

"Ah, so the diamond was there? What color?" Jane asked.

"Clear. Just a normal one." She replied.

"You're lying." He called her bluff. "You stole the diamond, which isn't a diamond it's an emerald. And you played along with the diamond thing hoping not to get caught. Hand it over." Grace rolled her eyes and pulled the gem out of her pocket.

* * *

Henry had also been holding something in his hand. A note, that read:

"They yearn for what they fear for."

"They yearn for what they fear for?..." Rigsby repeated over and over again as Cho swept orange rinds of his desk with a dirty look at Jane, who smiled back.

"What do you think it means?" Lisbon asked.

"It's definitely a strange message. The other clues were more obviously connected to the murders; the "fake psychic" being what he was killing, the revenge being the motive, but this...I'm not sure. It's not really making sense." Jane admitted. "Let's sleep on it and reconvene in the morning."

"I second that." Cho agreed as he left the room. The other's also hurried out, leaving Jane and Lisbon alone.

"I guess you plan on sleeping here tonight?" Lisbon asked. Jane put on a 'duh' face and laid on the couch.

"Ok. Goodnight Jane." Lisbon grabbed her purse and left.

"Goodnight Lisbon." Jane waved in her general direction.

* * *

As soon as Lisbon was gone, Jane walked over to the computer. He typed in the phrase that had been found in Henry's hand.

"Dante's Divine Comedy...?" Suddenly it all clicked. The serial killer, the clues, the victims. It all clicked.

"He's looking for me..." Jane mused. "No, not looking, I'm easily found. He's warning me, showing me what's in store. He'll come for me when he is ready."

Jane had a sudden metallic taste in his mouth as he threw up into the can next to Lisbon's desk. It was the taste of...not fear, but the dreaded feeling you get when you know you may be over your head in something bad. Jane powered down the computer and went back to the couch. And he began to plan.


	5. Abandon all hope, Ye who enter here

"The phrase is from Dante Alighieri's _Divine Comedy_." Jane asserts as soon as everyone was in the room.

"Does that mean anything?" Van Pelt asked. Jane shrugged,

"Dante wrote a lot about the afterlife. Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory. Perhaps the killer is saying that the people he killed wanted to die. _They yearn what they fear for._ They fear death, but they want it at the same time perhaps? Could be just the thing that a killer like that would believe. Only problem is that it doesn't connect with the other clues. Why would the killer kill people who wanted to die anyway to avenge his father? And why psychics? That's what I don't understand."

"Well, I don't understand any of it, so you're better off than me." Rigsby retorted.

"I guess." Jane replied.

* * *

"Jane, I've never seen you so stumped on a case before, and we've had our share of tough ones. Is there something you're hiding from me?" Lisbon asked Jane while they were alone.

"No. " Jane replied.

"Have you considered that you may be a target? You used to claim psychic powers." Lisbon pointed out.

"But I recanted." Jane replied. Lisbon looked at Jane with a frown. Something was seriously wrong.

"You are the epitome of a fake psychic. You made so many people believe you, then you claimed it was all an act, a sham. Either the killer is going to respect you for it, or he's going to target you especially. Either way, I'm sure you've captured his attention."

"Or not. Maybe he hasn't heard of me. Maybe he doesn't care about me." Jane deadpanned. Lisbon burst in exasperation.

"Jane, I really don't know what is going on with you but you need to get your act together. Someone is targeting psychics. You are a psychic. Just admit it. You may be a target! Don't you care enough about that to admit that you may need protection?" Jane shrugged. Lisbon turned and stormed out of the room.

* * *

Fortunately, the day passed with no new murders. After a death a day, the break was welcome as the team tried to crack the case of the serial killer they had nicknamed "Dante". Jane seemed to find the name humorous for some reason, but Lisbon didn't ask. In fact, she spent the whole day ignoring Jane to spite him for ignoring her worries. And when he tried to sleep on the couch in her office, she told him to go home because she was working late. He left, looking dejected and annoyed. Lisbon felt bad but she decided to immerse herself in paperwork to bury the feeling. After marinating in guilt (for being such a bitch) for a couple of hours, Lisbon sent an apology text to Jane's cell. She even added a smiley face in an attempt to 'ease the tension' should Jane still be upset. The response she received was not what she had been expecting. He didn't apologize for his pigheadedness at all, and responded that she would only "most likely" see her tomorrow. Would he skip work because she had ignored him all day? If he did he was really immature...well, more immature than she gave him credit for being. She responded back ; "Most likely?". She never received a response. She shrugged and went home. She'll find out in the morning.

* * *

Jane opened his eyes, squinting as his mind tried to awaken and understand what was going on. He had a splitting headache. He was chained to the wall by a metal collar, like a dog. He couldn't remember how he had arrived in the cellar. He assumed it wasn't voluntary, but knowing some of the games he would play with suspects he wasn't entirely sure what to think. The wound on the side of his head would suggest that he had been hit rather hard with a blunt object, which would explain many things. The headache and memory loss, for example. In fact, the last thing Jane remembered was getting tea in the kitchen at CBI and then...nothing. Waking up in this dingy cellar. The floorboards creaked suddenly overhead, causing Jane to jump and look up. Even the slightest sound sent throbs of pain through his skull. He sat up and ran his fingers across the surface of the collar, looking for a keyhole….There, on the left side was a tiny hole, barely noticeable. As he felt around the collar, he observed his surroundings. He was in a dimly lit room. Most likely a wine cellar, considering the dirt flooring and the empty wine shelf on the opposite wall. The ceiling above was short and Jane could hear footsteps over head as someone- his captor most likely- moved around. The cellar was shaped like a long triangle with the tip cut off and was just large enough for Jane to reach the wine shelf with his foot, if he was to stretch out completely. To his left was the smaller side of the room where a small (but sturdy looking) wooden door was located. The door was too far away for Jane to reach from his location and the collar wouldn't grant him enough room to get anywhere near it. There was nothing else about the room that was very interesting, no tools lying about and no furniture or decorations. All it was was Jane, dirt, and an empty shelf. The scuffed lines in the dust on the wine shelf suggests that the wine was removed recently, leading Jane to believe that the confinement was well thought out and not a spur of the moment decision. He surely wasn't unconscious long enough to get here _and_ have his captor remove all of the wine from the room before he wakened, was he? If this was planned out, then the chances that Cho, Lisbon, or Rigsby were outside ready to come to his rescue were pretty slim. But if he had come of his own free will and was overpowered at this location then there may have been time to remove all of the wine because there wouldn't have been any travel time. Frankly, it was difficult to tell without knowing how long he was unconscious. Jane heard someone outside of the cellar door and turned to look as the door opened. A young man walked in eating a sandwich.

"Oh, you're awake. Figures that you would come to the minute I leave the room." The man shook his head like he was annoyed. Jane just looked at him. He looked to be in his twenties, tall and relatively built, dark hair and a handsome face. And piercing blue eyes.

"You wanted to be here when I woke up. Why? What have I done to you?" Jane asked, his voice croaky with a thirst he hadn't realized he'd had.

"What makes you think you've done anything to me? How do you know I'm not working for someone else?" The man asked defensively. Jane looked side to side and then back at his captor.

"The fact that you want to be here when I wake up shows that you have some interest in my well-being. Or not so well-being. Also, you are projecting a lot of anger towards me. I disgust and anger you in some way, but at the same time I interest you. You want to know how I do what I do, then I think you want to kill me. You believe that I have wronged you in some way. Is that right?" Jane asked, nonchalantly.

"You." The man looked at the last bite of his sandwich then back at Jane before throwing the rest on the ground and pointing a finger at his captive. "You think you know everything, just because you are a psychic. You HAVE wronged me, by wronging my father. In my case, my revenge is hereditary."

"Wow, hereditary revenge? What chromosome is that on?" Jane teased. The man slapped him, sending a wave of agony through Jane's head and trickle of blood ran from is lips where his lip had split.

"Enough of your smart-talk. You can joke around all you want when you are outside, but now you are in my domain. I won't put up with your antics. Do I make myself clear?"

The mans face was up against Jane's looking deep into his eyes. Jane smiled.

"Clear as crystal, or rather, diamond."


	6. That is the question

It was early morning in the office, but already there was an air of anxiety. Lisbon could just not sit still. Cho sat at his computer, eyes glued to the computer screen in an attempt to ignore the pacing of his boss. Rigsby walked into the room, coffee in hand.

"Grace just called. She's stuck in traffic and had lost service. She says Jane is not with her." He took a sip. Lisbon nodded,

"Ok. Thanks." Rigsby sat down at his desk and locked eyes with Cho, who shrugged. Lisbon looked at the clock.

"Dammit, Where's Jane? He's never been later than 9:00." He's always here. Always, Always, always. What was going on. Cho spun around,

"He's probably caught in the same traffic as Van Pelt."

"Probably. And he's not the type to call and let us know." Rigsby seconded. Lisbon shook her head.

"It just doesn't feel right."

"If you start 'feeling' things I'd say you hang out with Jane way too much." Cho teased. It was a small attempt to lighten the mood. Lisbon smiled distractedly, and then her phone vibrated in her back pocket. It was a message from Jane. Relief swept over Lisbon as she checked the message, only to be replaced with dread. The message read:

"X_X".

Lisbon gasped. Cho was instantely on his feet, his hand instinctively hovering over the holster of his firearm.

"Boss?" Rigsby wondered.

"It's from Jane." She murmured as she handed the phone to Cho.

* * *

It had been two days since he had been taken. Jane still did not know exactly why he was where he was, or what his captor wanted. In fact, he still couldn't remember anything after the CBI kitchen. Considering the time period of his imprisonment, Jane had come to the assumption that CBI was not, in fact, waiting outside to save him. There would be no Lisbon in shining armor to save his ass. It was up to him. The feeling of loneliness overwhelmed him as he listened to the man's proposal.

"You know, you're type is hard to find." He informed Jane. "I've spent years teaching myself the skills of your trade until I could no longer teach myself anything more. Now I'm in need of a professional tutor, and they aren't very numerous."

"My type?" Jane queried. His captor chuckled.

"Play dumb all you want. I KNOW you are a real psychic. You only claim to be a fake so that that Red John fellow will leave you alone. You are nothing like those others. The frauds."

"Why them? The others I mean." Jane asked.

"Easy. I wanted to kill you. No more than that, I wanted to _destroy_ you." The answer made no sense. There was a pause as Jane looked around and put his hands up.

"I'm here. _Destroy_ away." The man laughed.

"I want more than that. I know you are adept with looking at the future, but allow me to help you remember the past." He cleared his throat as Jane observed intently.

"I was about fifteen years old when you destroyed my father's life, and mine consequently. My father was a psychic. He made quite a name for himself, and built up quite a following. Until you came along and _exposed_ him as a fake."

"Tony Rizzoli..." Jane murmured, recalling.

"You remember then. Yes. That was my father's name. He was training me to follow in his footsteps. My name, the name my mother provided me with before she so gracefully left my life, was Daniel. But my father and I preferred Dante. More...showy. After all, half of the job is the image. When you exposed my father as a fraud, you destroyed him. He lost all he had worked for, as had I. After all, who would trust the son of a 'scam artist'. That's what you called him, right?" Dante was red with anger and remembrance. Jane swallowed and replied.

"There are no such things as psychics, Daniel." Jane stayed calm as Dante replied.

"It's Dante! And there are! My father was one, and so are you. You exposed him in order to get rid of _competition._ Your only competition. All the others you exposed were fakes, obviously. But my father, he was the real deal. And you knew...know... it."

Jane shook his head,

"Think about it Dante! Did your father teach you anything worthwhile? Or mere parlor tricks?"

"He was going to! He said -promised- he would once my powers were fully developed. But he fell into depression and drink, BECAUSE OF YOU!, and died. He never got the chance to teach what I want so badly to learn. I vowed to free the Rizzoli name from shame you trapped it in. To do so, I'd need to remove you from the picture."

"Why am I still alive then?"

"I knew that if I could not find another real psychic to teach me I'd have to resort to talking to you. All the ones I contacted were fake, so I killed them for besmirching the name of psychics. But I had to take precautions that they wouldn't find you and warn you. I wanted to be the only one who left you clues. I wanted you to know that I am in control and that there was going to be a reckoning. I wanted you to fear the revenge of Dante Rizzoli. With that said I'm willing to offer you a deal. Teach me your skills, and I'll keep you alive for a little while longer. Until you teach me all you know. Then I'll kill you. But refuse me and you die here, now." Dante pulled out a revolver.

"Ooooh, I'm so scared." Jane teased. "You really had me going. How would you feel if I told you I wanted you to abduct me? That I wanted to catch you myself? The CBI know it was you now. They are most likely right outside."

Dante laughed.

"I highly doubt it. But if they are, It will be a little too late for their precious. little. Patrick. Jane." A shot was fired. Dante exited the cellar, leaving Jane curled up on the floor, covered in his own blood.

In the minute before Jane lost conscience, contemplated the severity of his situation. He had miscalculated. The CBI weren't coming, or if they were Dante was right. It was too late. Jane felt the cool, gentle tug of nothingness pulling his mind away from lucidness. What about Red John? He can't die here, not without killing Red John. But the emptiness was so sweet...

"To be or not to be...hold on or drown in peace?" Jane smiled as his vision spotted, and the spots spread to cover his vision. He was engulfed in darkness.


	7. The Great Bitter

"He lives _here_?!" Rigsby burt out, stunned at the size of Jane's house. Grace rolled her eyes.

"He does wear those suits everywhere, did you expect him to live in an apartment?" She asked.

"No, but I'm just surprised at the size of his house." Rigsby reitterated.

"He did have a family once, you know." Cho cut in, killing the moment.

The team followed Lisbon up to the front door.

"Jane? Are you home?" No answer. "It's us! Lisbon, Cho, Rigsby, and Van Pelt. If you are in there you better open this door, or so help me..." It was an empty threat. They all knew that if Jane was inside, he was probably dead. Lisbon waved to Rigsby and Cho to cover her as she kicked open the door. Entering the house with her weapon drawn, she quickly inspected the bottom floor, and the others spread out to check upstairs.

"Clear!" She called, hearing echoed replies from various area's throughout the house. Jane was nowhere to be found.

"Boss!" Cho called from upstairs. Lisbon hurried up.

"What...oh." She started upon entering what she assumed was once the master bedroom. On the wall was a red smiley face, Red John style. Probably the one left over the bodies of Jane's family. Directly under it was a small cot with a blanket. It was the only furnishings in the house.

"That can't be healthy." Grace commented. Lisbon shook her head and left the room, heading out into the front yard. She tried calling Jane's cell once more. She heard a ringing sound, but it wasn't from her phone. It was coming from the bush next to the front porch. Upon closer inspection, Lisbon found the phone. What was really strange was that the caller Id did not say Lisbon, Teresa, Work, or anything one would expect. It said "Across the street the telescope points..."

* * *

"Hello, I'm Teresa Lisbon and this is Kimball Cho. We are with the CBI." They both flashed their badges to the woman in the doorway. She was a tall blond, and looked to be about mid-forties.

"Hello, Can I help you with something?" She wondered. Lisbon nodded.

"You're Jennifer Saxon?" The woman nodded.

"We came to talk to you about the disappearance of your neighbor, Patrick Jane?" Jennifer looked worried.

"Disappearance? Was he abducted? Is he ok?!" She asked.

"May we come in?" Jennifer nodded and stepped aside.

"Of course."

"What's your relationship with Jane?" Lisbon queried once she and Cho were settled on the couch in the sitting room. Jennifer smiled.

"He's a charming man and a good neighbor. We have tea together on occasion. He's been so sad and lonely since what happened to his family. But he came over the evening before yesterday with some cookies. Said he was feeling a little lonely and wanted to spend some time in friendly company."

"Did he discuss anything while he was here? Anything that you may think would be related to his disappearance?" Cho asked.

"He mentioned wine several times. He kept talking about how he was craving an italian wine... amarone, I believe. But that's all, and I hardly see how its relevant." Jennifer replied.

"Anything could be relevant. Do you have a telescope?" Lisbon questioned. Jennifer looked at Lisbon and then to the ever serious Cho.

"Yes, it was my late husband's. Why?"

"May we see it?"

* * *

Back at CBI the team was preparing the footage from the telescope's camera for viewing.

"Is it a coincidence that she had a telescope pointed towards Jane's house, that recorded the whole abduction, and that Jane knew about it and had prepared a message for us?" Rigsby asked.

Lisbon frowned. All of this was evidence leading to Jane's own involvement in his abduction. If that was the case, they needed to hurry. Jane had a death wish, and was always putting himself in deadly situations with the assumption that the CBI would save him. What the point of this was Lisbon was not sure. But she knew time was limited. One of these days Jane was not going to be able to walk away.

"I bet you twenty bucks this is one of his elaborate schemes." Cho dared Rigsby.

"Really you two? Jane's missing and you two are placing bets?" Van Pelt was disgusted. "You should be ashamed."

"Let's just watch the video please." Lisbon interceded before things could escalate.

The footage showed Jane sitting in his car for a while, then showed him walking up towards the front door of his house. He paused once on the foot of the stairs and messed with his phone. As he was texting Lisbon, a tall caucasian man wearing a black outfit snuck out from the shrubbery on the side of the porch. He hit Jane over the head with something, and then picked dragged him to the street. He lifted Jane into the back of a black or dark blue suv. The angle was wrong to get the plates, but the image sparked a memory.

"There was a black suv outside of Sarah Ledford's shop the day of the murder. Same shape. An Acura." Cho commented. Lisbon looked at him,

"Do you think we got a photo? Let's look through the evidence."

* * *

After about an hour of searching, they managed to find a picture where the car was evident in a reflection in the window of the shop. Half the license plate was cut off, but they managed to see the first four letters. Running a scan on it, they managed to narrow the search down to two people: Daniel Rizzoli, and Harry Trump. Both owners of black SUV's in California.

"We can conclude that the fact that we did not find Jane dead outside his house meant that the killer wants him alive for some reason. Therefore, Jane had probably come in contact with this person before. Check his old client's list and see if there is any connection to either of those men. Also, look for a connection with wine, specifically amarone." Lisbon ordered. The team split up and began to work.

"Cho, you and Rigsby go and question Daniel Rizzoli and Harry Trump. Grace and I will take over here until you get back."

"Yes, Boss." Cho replied. The two men left.

"Boss," Grace said almost before the two men had even left. "I think I have something."

"Did any of the names match up with a client?"

"No. But the name Rizzoli matched up with something else. Jane once exposed a man named Anthony Rizzoli as being a fraud. Rizzoli had a son, Daniel, and a wife, Marissa. Daniel commonly called himself Dante, as a stage name. And even better, Rizzoli's grandfather owned a vineyard called "Amarone Forest"."

Lisbon pulled out her cell phone.

"Cho meet up with us outside the vineyard, "Amarone Forest". Hurry."

* * *

Daniel Rizzoli was agreeable enough and allowed the CBI to search his house without putting up any sort of fuss. But Lisbon knew he had Jane somewhere in the house.

"Where is the cellar?" Lisbon asked. Daniel acted confused, but the contracting of his pupils meant that she had just touched home. God, if she was noticing these things, she HAD been hanging out with Jane too much.

"There isn't one." Daniel replied much too quickly. Lisbon was obviously disbelieving.

"Really? A house at a vineyard, and no cellar to store wine? How strange." She probed. Dante shrugged, having regained his composure.

"My family is anything but normal."

"Oh yes. Your father was a psychic. Or well, a fake one." Lisbon commented halfheartedly.

"I know what you are trying to do, but it won't work because I did not do anything wrong. And there is no cellar in this house." Dante replied smugly.

"Then why do you have dirty footprints right outside your pantry door but no where else?" Lisbon commented. She walked over and opened the Pantry. There were shelves with few odds and ends on them, but when pushed the wall moved backwards, like a door. Behind it were stairs.

"I believe I just found the cellar." Lisbon gloated. Dante pulled out a revolver.

"I wouldn't go down there. Unless you want to end up like your little friend." The other agents were in different rooms, and Lisbon knew they wouldn't be able to help her in time.

"Are you going to kill me, Daniel." Lisbon asked. "Because if you do, you'll be going to jail for a long, long, time. But if you show some goodwill and put the gun down, I'm sure I can help work out a deal."

"I don't need a deal. I don't need anything from you or _him._" Dante nodded towards the stairs to where Jane was most likely located. Lisbon took her chance to attack. She reached out and grabbed the revolver. A shot was fired, but it missed and lodged itself into the wall instead. Lisbon managed to wrest the weapon away from Dante but before she could point it at him the other agents had all trained their weapons towards him.

Lisbon, slightly out of breath and sweating, nodded towards Dante.

"Cho arrest this man."

* * *

Lisbon could hear Cho saying out Dante's rights as she ascended the stairs towards the cellar. She could see a dim light from under a heavy wooden door and hastened to open it. Inside was Jane, but he wasn't moving and there was blood...a lot of blood.

"Jane!" She cried as she ran over. She felt his hand, but it was limp.

"Call for an ambulance!" She screamed out. She pulled out her gun and shot at the chain holding the collar around Jane's neck and it fell off the wall. the collar unsnapped with a clang as well, which was odd but at this point she didn't care.

"Jane, oh Jane." She cried as she held his still head in her lap.


	8. Death, Be Not Proud

Then she felt it. A ragged breath.

* * *

Jane woke up to a white room smelling of antiseptic and plastic.

"Mr. Jane, can you hear me?" A nurse asked from a distance (or so it seemed). A groggy yes slipped through his lips.

"DO you need some water?" Water. Yes, that's exactly what he needed. Water. What a brilliant idea, what a genius question.

"ummmhumm." He replied. He felt a cup being held against his lips. He had never thought water could taste so sweet.

"You need to stay in recovery for a while before we can let you move to your room. Please stay awake for us please, Mr. Jane."

Awake? Why should he wake up? Why should he subject himself to life. He liked to sleep. But here there was water and it was sweet and made him feel better.

"More..." he croaked, and he felt the obliging nurse put the cup back against his lips.

"Drink slowly now..."

* * *

The team all paced back and forth in the waiting room until the word came that Jane had woken up and was now in his room. They all rushed to his room, but they would only admit one person at a time to see him. Lisbon went first.

Jane was laying in bed, slightly delirious from pain medication and sporting wrappings across his arm and his chest. Other than that, he looked like the same old Jane.

"How are you feeling?" Jane looked at her and smiled.

"I'm awake. I want to leave. Other than that I'm chipper." Lisbon rolled her eyes. He was the same old Jane.

"You were just shot and almost bled to death and you are calling yourself 'chipper'? I'd hate to see you when you felt like crap."

Jane just smiled knowingly.

"Thank you for coming for me." He aid. Lisbon got serious.

"Jane do you realize that you almost died? That you put yourself in danger for a case that we probably could have solved without you endangering yourself? You keep putting yourself out there thinking that we can always save you, but one of these days you are going to have your ass handed back to you on a tray and we won't be there to help."

"I had no choice, we didn't have any proof. I could have told you what I knew, but then we still wouldn't have proof. It was a hunch. And if I had told you my plan you would have stopped me. "

"Damn right." She commented.

"And we would still be no closer than before."

She sighed. Why did he have to always be right.

"Just be more careful, ok? And leave more obvious clues next time. Like a written statement. Or something." Jane rolled his eyes.

"I left you a text and a video. What more could you want?"

"How did you do that anyway? Send the text?" Lisbon asked curiously.

"Wouldn't you like to know." Jane replied with a teasing grin, "I am an ex-psychic that recanted all claim to magic. Who knows what skills I have."

* * *

A/N: LOL finally done with this story . Like the first one I've ever finished and had be any good. For those of you who wondered how Jane sent the text: There is a setting in some phones that allow you to set a time when a text can be sent. Jane set this alarm to send to lisbon at 9:30, but he postponed it to the next day every morning. When he was abducted, he could not reschedule the text so the message was sent. :) I'll be writing more Fanfictions on the mentalist soon! Just as soon as I am done with scholarships . Need to find a way to pay for college expenses! Please comment on my story and let me know how you felt about it. What parts did you like the best?

Thanks! 3 Daeneyr


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